Ties That Bond
by theladyspades
Summary: Sequel to Repair, Rebuild, Renew. After everything Cassie has been through in the past year, she's looking forward to the next chapter of her life: marriage. With her one true love. CageBlade and Jakeda will be aplenty. AU in regards to MK11 story mode. Rated for language, content, and mature themes.
1. Uncertainty

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the properties belonging to NRS and Warner Brother's studio, nor do I own any of the characters you recognize in the Mortal Kombat Fandom. Only the plot and original characters belong to me. Thank you!

**Author's Note:** ... So hi again! Another sequel, but this will be much, _much_ lighter in tone. I'm normally a sucker for happy endings and stuff, so here we are. For those familiar with my previous works, this story begins right from where the end of Chapter 31 of _Repair, Rebuild, Renew_ ends. This will feature Cassie and my O.C along with the occasional CageBlade and Jakeda fluff in there as well. If you are wanting more CageBlade from me, you can check out my stuff: either on AO3 (same penname as here), and you can also keep up with my CageBlade origin stories, especially because I'd be referencing things from there in this one. I hope you guys enjoy.

Also to be noted... I'm ignoring MK11 story mode, just saying.

* * *

**Uncertainty**

Save for the hoots of an owl just outside the window…

It's quiet in Cassie's room. She's awake, lying on her side and watching her boyfriend Yuri-Nato Ogawa sleep. He's snoring quietly, something she giggles and shakes her head at. His eyes move under his closed eyelids and she stares at his long eyelashes in awe. Unable to resist, she runs a soft index finger down the length of his nose, lightly tapping the end affectionately. He inhales deeply and she cringes. "Oops," she whispers to herself.

When he settles again, she smiles. She couldn't remember a time before now when she was just… blissful. It's been a long time coming for her, and she knew it. But she's simply happy again, even when he lets out a particularly gnarly snort in his sleep. She covers her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. Her bed lightly shakes with her quiet laughter before she bites her lips. Clearing her throat, she settles back into her pillow.

Closing the short distance between them, she rubs her nose against his nose affectionately. She then presses her lips to his in quick succession, once, twice, three times. On her fourth go, she's surprised when he responds back by pulling her even closer to him and letting their lips linger. With an inhale, she throws an arm and a leg over his neck and waist respectively. And with a soft moan, she parts her lips. "Whoops," she mutters against his lips.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating through her bare body and settling right between her legs. She blushes helplessly. They pull away and his silver eyes are now trained on her green orbs. "What's on your mind?" he wonders.

She blinks at him. "I was thinking about you," she confesses.

He hums, contemplating her answer. "What about me?"

She shrugs. "Just thinking." She caresses his cheek with her thumb. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You didn't," he assures her, adjusting his hold on her.

"You sure?" she asks him apprehensively. His reply comes in the form of him breathing kisses into her neck, causing her to moan softly. She stiffens when she thinks of something. "Oh… shit."

Yuri pulls away and stares at Cassie. "Something wrong?"

She bites her lip again. "Shit… I just realized that we… we uh… didn't use protection," she mumbles the last part. He furrows his eyebrows, agreeing with her assessment. "I mean… because I'm not on birth control."

"I understand," he says. He loosens his hold and she shifts around in her bed, pulling at the drawers of her small nightstand and discovers her small box of condoms. "Well, I'm tested and everything."

"I know," she tells him, frowning at herself, "I trust you. I'm clean as well." She internally screams at herself, questioning why she even brought it up. With a sigh, she rolls over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. He lies on her pillow on his stomach, tilting his head to face hers.

After a few moments of disturbing silence, he speaks again, regarding her previous concerns, "Do you _want_ to?"

"Well," she starts, "I'm obviously not seeing anyone else at this rate." She turns her head to face him. "Are _you_?" she teases.

He chuckles. "Hell no. I don't normally like people to begin with."

She laughs at him. "Jeeze," she mocks him, "you sound like a lone wolf."

"I can be," he reasons.

"But you like _me_ though, right?" she beseeches him playfully.

He tosses an arm around her again, turning them over so she's on top of him. "Cassandra," he lulls, "do you even need to ask?"

"Mmm hmm."

He lightly grabs the back of her neck and brings her in for a kiss. "Fine, if you insist. I love you, Cassandra. Very much."

"Me, too," is her knee jerk reaction. She cringes when he eyes her. "I mean, I love you too Yu-Yu."

She tucks her head under his neck, and he caresses her back, rubbing it in soft circles. "I must say, it delights me when you call me that, especially because no one has ever nicknamed me as such before," he confesses.

She smirks. "Because no one is as clever as me," she jests.

He places a sweet kiss to her forehead. "This is true," he agrees, and her conceited smirk grows. "Brat."

"_Wow_," she laughs, "so mean."

"It's all in the name of love, my dear."

* * *

It's the beginning of a new month. Cassie and Jacqui take a rare day away from the base. "It's official," Cassie says, taking a bite of her fry as Jacqui sits in front of her, sipping her strawberry flavored milkshake as they eat lunch at their favorite burger joint. "I'm so in love with that dude."

Shaking her head, Jacqui also takes a fry, dipping it in ketchup before putting it in her mouth and chewing slowly and deliberately. "'Course you are," she brags, and Cassie rolls her eyes. "Welcome to the club, sis."

Cassie laughs, shaking her head and taking a long drink from her own banana flavored crafted beverage. "It's crazy, you know. I did _not_ think it'd happen like this."

"The universe works in such mysterious ways, doesn't it?"

The girls nod in agreement, and Cassie sips at her drink some more before putting it down and saying, "I'm low key waiting for his next move."

"What do you think would be his next move?"

Cassie levels a look with her best friend. "What did you tell me before when I told you he came through with the save that helped Mom get her job back?"

"_Ohh_," Jacqui laughs, and the hidden meaning behind that one word causes Cassie to choke on her drink and blush. "Well I mean, I said you should fuck him—"

"Done, and done," Cassie says.

Jacqui leans forward. "Spill the deets."

Slapping a hand on her head, Cassie laughs. "I mean… y-you know…" she stumbles over her words.

"That good?"

"Honey, you have _no_ idea," she confirms.

Wanting to see her normally calm, cool, and collected best friend squirm some more, Jacqui teases, "I don't… which is why you should _tell_ me."

"Jacqueline!"

Jacqui bursts into laughter as Cassie's face flushes even more. "Tell me, or else it's just gonna get worse."

Cassie covers her face. After taking a few moments to collect herself, she clears her throat. "Well, first of all, I knew his tongue game would be _there_," she starts, making an 'ok' sign with her hands. Jacqui places a fist under her chin, smiling impishly at her. "Um," she tries to ignore Jacqui's leering look, "y-yeah, he's really good at it, oh my God."

"Uh huh," Jacqui coaches.

"And um… Jesus fucking Christ, Jacqui, he's just good at it, okay? This is weird. I don't ask for details about you and Takeda, do I?"

"Yes, the fuck you did! You wanted to know _everything,_ and I told you because I love you," Jacqui defends herself. With a frown, she smartly adds, "That, and you threatened to molly whoop my ass. So, I'm returning the favor. Tell me everything or get your ass beat."

Cassie throws her head back and laughs, covering her mouth. "This needs to be a conversation over drinks. At a bar."

Jacqui wraps up her burger in the paper. "Let's go then."

Half an hour later, the two girls are already two shots of tequila in. "Okay," Cassie resumes her story from before, "so he did this thing with his tongue where he…" She whispers the rest in Jacqui's ear, and Jacqui's eyes go wide. As Cassie continues the story in private, Jacqui's jaw slowly drops. "With ice," she finishes, taking a sip of her water.

"_Ice_?"

"Mmm hmm," Cassie reiterates.

"Shit," Jacqui marvels, "I gotta try that. Unless you want that to be your personal thing?"

Cassie shrugs, noncommittal. "You can try it. It was hella fucking sexy. One _thousand_ percent will do again."

Jacqui gestures to the bartender for another round. "Damn. Okay, what else?"

Tucking their heads low, they continue their conversation when a guy strides in and takes a seat next to Cassie on her right, blatantly eyeing her. She whips her head in his direction and he smirks at her. "Hey," he greets with a gravelly voice, surveying her.

"Hi," she says, turning her attention back to Jacqui. "Anyway," she continues.

"Can I buy you and your friend a drink?"

Both girls turn to him now. "Nope, we're good," Jacqui answers him sharply. They eye each other, speaking silently now.

He orders himself a whiskey straight. "That's cool. Just being friendly."

Jacqui rolls her eyes with a sigh. Deciding against her initial thoughts, she takes her shot and drains it. Cassie does the same before signaling to her friend that it's their last. Just in case. "I wanna marry him."

"That implies that you _want_ to get married," Jacqui tells her.

Cassie shrugs again. "Yeah, and?"

"Shit," Jacqui marvels, "you really _do_ love him, huh? I've never heard you say that before."

Cassie blinks. "Yeah… I do. I wanna marry him and have all of his beautiful silvery eyed babies." She looks up to the ceiling. "Jesus, help me."

"I do remember also saying you should marry him, but I mean… I was kidding… sorta." Jacqui turns to Cassie and says, "You, Cassandra Carlton Cage, want to get married. Huh."

"Literally, all he has to do is ask," Cassie agrees. She takes another sip of her water. "It doesn't even feel like it, but I know we've technically only been dating for nearly four months—"

"And it's been almost a year since y'all met," Jacqui adds.

Cassie nods. "Mmm hmm. But honestly Jacqui… he's the one. I know it both in my heart and deep in my soul. He's the real deal, I swear. He's… Yuri is _it_." She grimaces. "Ew, who put these onions here?" she jokes, wiping her eye. She sniffs. "I didn't think I'd get to this point in my life, Jacq."

Patting her shoulder, Jacqui nods. "I know. Yuri's a good guy. _Way_ better than any of the other dudes you've ever dated." Cassie nods and shrugs again. "So… all he has to do is ask, eh?"

"Yep. And I'll be patient for once. I'll wait until _he's_ ready."

_Ya hear that, Taquito?_ Jacqui thinks in her head, directing her thoughts to her boyfriend, Takeda. _She said she'd say yeah if he asks._ Refocusing on Cassie, Jacqui says, "And I'll get ready to be doused in pink."

Cassie chuckles. "I'll _try_ not to make it stupidly bright."

* * *

At dinner a week before Valentine's Day at the Cage residence, Cassie sits with Yuri and her parents. Utensils scrape along their plates as they all eat in relative silence. But because he couldn't help himself, Johnny begins humming an aimlessly merry tune, causing Sonya to roll her eyes at him. "Really, Johnny?" Sonya asks him after he starts whistling and tapping his fingers against his plate.

He ceases his actions and frowns at his wife. "C'mon Sonya, let me have some fun," he teases her.

Yuri raises an eyebrow at the older couple but keeps to himself, biting back a silent laugh. Cassie shakes her head affectionately. "You guys are hilarious," she tells her parents.

"Hardly," is Sonya's dry response, and Yuri chokes on a sip of his water, thoroughly amused. His action earns her attention, and she wonders, "So, what are your plans for next week, kiddos?"

Cassie tilts her head to the side at Sonya. "Next week?" She looks at Yuri who shrugs. "We have plans?"

Gasping, Yuri jokingly inquires, "You've forgotten already?" He throws a dramatic hand to his heart and Sonya laughs. "I am offended!"

She turns to him slowly. "What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Cassie stares at her dad. "Dad… _dude_, what— Mom!"

"Next week is Valentine's Day," she gently reminds Cassie.

She rolls her eyes. "I mean… I _know_ that. I'm only celebrating it with ninja dude because his birthday is coming up."

Both Sonya and Johnny perk up. "It _is_?" they both ask.

Yuri nods. "My birthday is on Saturday."

"Shit," Johnny yelps. "As in… the day _before_?"

Cassie grins, throwing an arm around her boyfriend. "Right? He's a special boy. He popped out the day before V-day. Pretty awesome, huh?" Before he's able to answer, she peppers his cheek with kisses. "You're legit the only reason why I'll respect V-day from here on out."

"This bloody holiday has been used to market the idea of love being celebrated _only_ on that day when that isn't how it works," he grouses miserably. Sonya and Cassie coo at him as Johnny chuckles. "A joke," he pouts.

"Aww c'mon babe," Cassie soothes him, "I know that's not how it works. Because usually, fuck Valentine's Day, am I right?"

"You're not wrong there," Sonya agrees.

"Exactly. But for you… I'll accept it. We won't even call it that. We'll just say your birthday. Deal?" As an added measure, Cassie holds out her hand for Yuri to shake, which he does before pressing her knuckles to his lips. Her other arm goes around his neck and she asks, "So… are we going to din-din or what?"

He nods. "I'll even dress up a bit, so—"

"Wear something fancy, got it," she finishes his sentence for him. She kisses his cheek again. "Love you," she says.

"I love you too, dear," he counters. They kiss and Johnny not so subtly clears his throat. They pull away. "Oh… may we be excused?" Johnny dismisses them and they push their chairs back as it gently scrapes against the floor. "Lucky muffin, come along."

Their white Maltese sits up from her nap, panting happily. "Fluffy butt, we're gonna go upstairs to bed. You ready?" She barks then follows her owners up the stairs.

Johnny and Sonya watch them leave before turning back to each other. "_Real_ subtle there, baby," Johnny lightly chides his wife.

"Oh, shut up," Sonya teases him back. She turns her head again when she hears the door to Cassie's room shut softly. "So… did he ask you?"

He nods, grinning. "He's gonna do it on Saturday."

"That's exciting," she says. She gathers the plates, stacking them on each other as she continues, "She's gonna lose her mind and I can't wait to see it."

"Can't believe it," he starts, standing up and pushing each chair back towards the table, "my little princess… _our_ little princess… ready to get married. Who'd have thunk it?"

"I didn't" she replies honestly. "She's normally a goddamn commitment-phobe. Wonder who she got _that_ from?" He whistles innocently, ignoring her humored jab. "Mmm hmm."

"Shush, Sonya," he tells her, and she laughs brightly, causing a smile to form on his face. "I'm excited though. She deserves the world, and I've done my best to give her that while you saved it. Now it's up to him to continue that for her."

"And he will. I have faith in him."

"Me, too."

They're silent for a while as he follows her to the kitchen to put the dishes in the dishwasher. "I remember our proposal, as unconventional as it was."

He shrugs. "I didn't want you to be the one who got away."

She walks up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and nudging him lightly. "I'm right here, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are," he agrees, pulling her closer to him before capturing her lips in his. They kiss for a long while, breaking apart only because he thought of something. "Don't leave me again, baby. I missed you."

"I won't," she promises. "And let's try not to have long fights like that again. Five years of fighting is…" She does some quick mental math. "Eighteen hundred and twenty-five days too long."

He stares at her incredulously. "Amazing… you just did that in your head?" She nods, grinning sheepishly. "Damn, I love you, baby."

"I love you too, honey."

"Oh, so you don't mind me calling you baby anymore, huh?" She shakes her head. "And it only took… what, twenty-six years?"

"Ugh, don't make me regret this, John," she warns him.

He pouts. "Not Johnny?"

She rolls her eyes. "Johnny," she corrects herself. She kisses him again, properly snaking her arms around his neck and her fingers through his hair. "I love you," she says breathlessly when they pull apart again.

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Thank you," Yuri graciously says as the waiter places his seafood _poh taek _soup on the table a couple of days later. Across from him sits his best friend Maeliana Kojima-Park, smiling at her musman curry and blackened rice as it's placed in front of her.

"If you need anything else, please let me know," the waiter tells them. They nod and she goes to check on another table.

"Well, this is a _very_ nice place, Natu," Maeliana praises him. She brushes her lightened brown hair back with one hand as she picks up her spoon. She dips the back of her spoon in her curry before putting it in her mouth. Marveling at the taste, she nods appreciatively. "Beautifully done."

"Told you," he gloats. Maeliana rolls her eyes and scoops some rice with her spoon before dipping it back into her meal. "Cassandra introduced me to this place, and I have been obsessed ever since."

She smiles through her food. After chewing, she says, "She has exquisite taste." She smiles at Yuri. "So, I have yet to speak to her in person. Why is this?"

"She's a busy woman, in charge of her own teams," he tells her.

Raising an eyebrow at him, she shakes her head. "I must meet her. I insist. You are purposely hiding her from me and it's unacceptable," she teases him.

With a scoff, he defends himself, stating, "I am _not_. Both of your schedules are not aligning the way they should."

"Well, this is true. I'm trying. I will be in town for the month. So, happy birthday my dear brother." They eat in silence before she speaks again. "You're asking for her hand, correct?"

"Indeed," he answers.

"I hope she accepts the proposal. I haven't seen you happier since… well, it's been a long while. I am glad you've finally found someone for you."

"She's absolutely amazing, wonderful, brilliant, and lovely in every sense of the word," he gushes with a loving grin on his face. She beams, genuinely happy for her best friend. "She's the best." With a sigh, he adds, "I just hope I'm good enough for her, too."

Frowning, Maeliana puts down her spoon and turns to Yuri. "Why would you ever think you aren't?"

He strokes his chin thoughtfully. "American girls can be very shallow. And it intimidates me."

"Agreed."

"She… Cassandra has been used to a certain lifestyle for a long time, complete with whom American society would dictate she should be with. I obviously do not fit the normal criteria, so… it's something that plagues me quite often."

"As that may be true, she does not strike me as such. Shallow, I mean," she tells him. She pats his hand softly. "If she did not want to be with you, I'm sure she would have made that clear, no?"

He nods. "This is true. But I still worry because… what if it has all been for naught?"

She folds her hands in front of her after pushing aside her food. "It wouldn't be. I promise. She's an honest woman; she has made her intentions quite clear to everyone, including yourself. So, fret not, Natu."

They eat in silence again with him deep in thought. After they're done, he quietly says, "I love her, and I am in love with her. I didn't think I would feel this way about anyone again… not since—"

"I understand," she says, not wanting him to finish the sentence. She'd been there for him as he reeled from the betrayal of his ex-girlfriend a couple of years prior. Constanza left a gaping, untrusting hole in his heart after it was revealed that she was involved in an attack against him where he barely escaped with his life, something he hadn't told Cassie before. Not yet.

If it wasn't for Maeliana and her husband, his other best friend Geo, he wouldn't be able to tell the story. Since then, he'd been untrusting of women seeking his attention romantically… until he laid eyes on Cassie. And he'd fallen as hard for her as she did for him. But doubts still linger in the back of his mind, even though Cassie hadn't given him a reason to feel that way.

He sighs, wiping his mouth on his napkin. "What happens next if she tells me no?"

She bites her lips. "Let us think positively, hmm? What will happen _when_ she tells you yes?"

He shrugs. "Then we stay together."

"Natu," she calls him. He looks up to see her staring at him with conviction. "Natu… she _will_ say yes. And Geo and I will be at your wedding. And we better be your children's emergency guardians."

This causes him to laugh lightly. "Yes Lia, I promise."

She places a gentle hand over his again. "She loves you. I do not have the same abilities as you, but I know it's true."

He nods, accepting her answer. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, of course! I say this because I love you brother."

"I love you too, Lia."

* * *

When Yuri gets back to Cassie's room in the house, he sees her lying on her bed in her bra and shorts typing something furiously on her tablet as Lucky snoozes next to her. Though Lucky perks up when she realizes he's home. Not looking up from her work, Cassie greets him with, "Hey babe, how was dinner with Maeliana?"

He closes the door gently and picks up Lucky to ruffle her fur. "It went well, though we both missed you."

"I know… I had a lot of work to take care of today… the same shit I'm _still_ working on," she explains, frowning at the screen. Scooting closer to the wall, she pats the new space next to her and he comes over to her to sit on the edge of the bed. "Does the restaurant receive both of your stamps of approval?"

"It does," he gushes. "Lia was very impressed. She's extremely hard to please."

"Oh," she snorts, "so like a female version of you, yeah?" She laughs when she glances over to see him scowling. "Aww babe, I meant that in the nicest way possible."

"Brat," he teases, swiftly delivering a short but sharp slap to her butt. She squeaks. "You deserved that."

"I doubt it," she chuckles again. After a few more minutes, she huffs and closes her tablet. "That's it, I've had enough of this." She sits up on her bed and embraces him lovingly. "I missed you today though."

"I've missed you too, my love," he returns the sentiment. He yelps. "Ouch! Muffin, why?"

"Lucky," she starts soothingly, taking the puppy from him, "why are you biting at your daddy? That's not very nice. You hurt his feelings, so say you're sorry."

She picks up the puppy and brings her closer to his face. Lucky licks his face affectionately. "You are forgiven." She barks once and Cassie puts her on the floor.

Now having more space, she leans in to kiss him, but he catches her on the neck instead, pressing soft, lingering kisses on her skin. She groans, appreciating the feeling. "Babe," she sighs.

"Want me to stop?" he asks, pulling away. She shakes her head. "Cass," he says.

"No, but please change your clothes," she tells him.

"Right, I apologize." Getting off the bed, he takes off his clothes. He's left with his boxer briefs and he checks in with her. "Better?"

"Much. Thanks, babe," she praises him. He climbs back on the bed, crawling to her as she reclines until he's on top of her. She immediately wraps her arms around his neck, and he situates himself between her on his knees. He takes the initiative to wrap her legs around his waist before snaking his hands up her back and pulling her to a sitting position. "Ooh," she squeals, "this is new."

"To whom, yourself?"

She gapes. "I mean, jeeze, it _just_ might be," she jokes with him. She tugs him and they kiss, rubbing themselves against one another. His hands crawl up her back, looking for the clasp of her bra. "Front clasp," she mumbles through his lips. Noted. He undoes her bra and she shrugs it off her shoulders before struggling to swipe it off her bed. It startles Lucky enough to find her corner of the room to sit quietly in.

He leans back slightly to inquire, "Are we okay with… protection?"

She nods. "I got an IUD, so that won't be an issue for like, three years unless I take it out," she tells him.

"Is that sufficient enough?"

"Yeah," she tells him.

He nips at her neck and pinches her nipples. "Want me to stop?" She hums negatively. "Do you love me?"

"Very much," she breathes in his ear. "But right now, you're making me talk a little too much."

He chuckles. "Sorry," he apologizes.

"Are ya?"

Yuri outright laughs at Cassie pestering him before sinking her back onto the bed. "I apologize deeply," he groans deep into his chest, "and I hope you can forgive me."

She swears she hears one of her parents in their room. "I will if you shush," she whispers, her heart pounding in her chest. She hears their door open just as he's already eased her shorts down her legs. "Babe," she whispers frantically when he rubs her with two fingers. She barely swallows down the salacious moan ready to leave her lips when she feels his tongue on her center. "I don't wanna… be too… mmm."

_**I'm not talking anymore**_, he sing-songs in her head, not missing a beat.

She covers her mouth with both hands, whimpering softly before throwing daggers at his inner thoughts. _You're a jerk_.

_**Am I?**_

She jolts as he grips one of her legs under the knee. "Yes," she squeals before holding her mouth closed again. His mouth works faster and probes deeper when she holds his head. The mysterious parent bangs their foot on the creaking trick step, and she bursts into loud giggles before stopping herself by biting her lips. _Fuck_.

"Cass?" Sonya calls out. Yuri pulls away from her and she struggles to sit up. "Cassie, are you okay?"

"Yep," she grunts, "all good."

"Okay," Sonya responds apprehensively. "Good night."

Two fingers enter Cassie and she chokes out, "Night," before staring at Yuri wide-eyed. "Yuri!" she hisses at him. He resumes his previous movements and she's rendered speechless again. She's surprised she hasn't drawn blood yet at how hard she bites at her lips as she finds herself close to the edge. With a muffled moan, she shudders and jolts as he finally detaches himself from her. "Oh… my God."

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna kick your ass," she whispers. He nips at her again. "Fuck."

"Very well then," he says with a chuckle.

She shakes her head at him after he lies next to her. "I'm gonna get you back," she vows, pouncing on top of him and lightly pinning his shoulders to the bed. "Seriously, you're a freak."

He frowns. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Huh?" she asks, slightly startled by the seriousness of his voice. "No, I meant that in a good way." Unconvinced, he scrunches his eyebrows in a half-grimace. "Yu-Yu… wow, I felt your vibes change just now. Did I say something wrong?" She sits on top of him, studying his face.

His earlier conversation with Maeliana plays in his mind, but he tries to shake it off. "You haven't. I was just thinking about something."

She lies back down and caresses his face with both hands. "Yu-Yu… I… I worded it wrong. I don't mean freak like a freak show," she tries to console him. "I meant it like, filthy but… you know, i-in a sexy kinda way. Like… 'kay, I won't say it like that again," she backtracks furiously.

He runs his hands up and down her bare back. "Thank you, my love. And I'm sorry. My mind just went elsewhere."

"Hey," she says softly, "just don't shut down on me, okay? You know I'm here for ya." She smiles at him and it's hard for him not to return the favor. "I owe _you_ an apology. How can I make it up to you?"

He guides one of her hands down to his hardened member. "I might have a way."

She giggles. "Oh, so you want me to give you a hand?" He half shrugs. "I'll do one better," she says as she lowers herself down his body.

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you guys think so far! I'm aiming to definitely do much more rapid-fire updates now that I've got a little more time on my hands. Thanks!


	2. The Proposal

**Author's Note:** The second chapter is up for your reading pleasure! Hope you guys like it! Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome. I do my best to reply to them!

* * *

**The Proposal**

Cassie oversleeps her alarm that Friday. So, she swipes her arm at the person shaking her lightly. "Stop," she mumbles.

"Punkin," Johnny coos in her ear, "wake up."

"No," she whines.

"Don't you have your therapy appointment today?" he reminds her.

She groans and finally sits up. "Ugh, Dad, c'mon. It's like—"

"It's 1:30, Cass."

"Oh, shit!" She jumps out of bed and rushes into her bathroom. "Fuck, I'm gonna be late!" she cries unhappily as she takes a quick shower.

She barely manages to make her appointment (rather, she's fifteen minutes late), panting for breath. "Dr. Marsden! I'm so sorry!"

Dr. Katelyn Marsden, a woman only a couple of years older than Cassie with brilliant red hair, smiles gently. "That's all right."

Cassie sits down on the couch and Dr. Marsden takes her usual place across from her. "So, how have you been lately? I know we've missed a few sessions with each other due to our schedules, so I apologize."

"It's cool," Cassie assures her. "Everything's been going well actually. That's what I wanted to tell you."

The doctor nods. "Sure."

Cassie sighs happily. "So, it's been a little while, I know, but um… Yuri finally came back."

"Good! Did you tell him how you felt?"

"I did," she says, smirking at the memory. "He felt exactly the way I felt, down to the insecurities and everything. But we talked it out, so we're good."

Dr. Marsden sees Cassie's smile growing bigger and she calls her out on it, asking, "So what's next for you both? If you don't mind me asking."

"If he asked me _tomorrow_ to marry him, I'd say yes in a heartbeat," she confesses before slapping a hand over her mouth. "I-I mean hypothetically of course. God, look what he's done to me, Dr. Marsden." They both laugh for a while, Cassie wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "No seriously though. I mean, I'm not in a rush or anything like that, but… that's how I feel about him. I don't really think I could be with someone else at this point in my life, you know?"

"That's understood," Dr. Marsden informs her.

After her session with her therapist, she meets Jacqui who grabs her by the arm and drags her into a nail salon. "Wha… Jacqui!"

"It's my treat," Jacqui tells her when they step over the threshold of the salon. One of the workers comes up to them. "Good afternoon, I booked two pedicures and two full sets?"

"Yes, come this way," she tells Jacqui, directing her to the pedicure chair. Another worker does the same for Cassie. "And full set, yes?"

"Uh…" Cassie stutters. "I think?" She looks at Jacqui picking out her colors. "Psst!"

Jacqui looks up. "Yeah Cass, pedi and full set mani. Shush."

Cassie sits on the chair next to Jacqui. "Rude bitch," she teases.

"Shut up, you love me."

"That's to be debated," Cassie laughs. She eases into her pedicure, popping her headphones in her ear and trying to avoid thinking about the weird sensations associated with a foot rub. After half an hour, someone taps her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Come, I'll do your nails."

Following the new worker, she sits down in front of a station. She looks at her recently bitten nails. "Shit… a regular mani isn't gonna cut it." Wordlessly, the worker takes out her bin of plastic nails. "Yeah… I guess I'll get the clear ones. But I can't have them _too_ long. I'm… uh." Cassie leans in and whispers, "I'm military."

"Ahh yes of course," she realizes. "What colors would you like?"

Cassie frowns thoughtfully. "Hmm." She taps her chin before smirking. "Pink… but make sure to incorporate some green and silver in it. Please, and thank you."

"Sure."

A couple of hours later, Cassie admires the intricate designs on her fingernails. "This is super pretty," she marvels. Turning to her best friend, she gives her a hug. "Thanks again, Jacq."

"Anytime, girlfriend!" Jacqui tells her. When she pulls away, Jacqui wonders, "Want me to come over tomorrow?"

Biting her lip in thought, Cassie responds, "I mean, sure. You know you're always welcome whenever."

"Cool! I'll see you and ninja dude, tomorrow then. I gotta go make sure Takeda didn't burn the house down."

Cassie laughs as she gets to her car. "You do that. Night!"

* * *

In the morning, Cassie finds Yuri in the backyard meditating. Before he realizes she's there, she covers his eyes lightly. "Guess who?" she whispers seductively in his ear.

"Mrs. Santa Claus?"

Confused but humored by his guess, she laughs. "Babe, _what_?" She takes her hands off his eyes and puts them on his shoulders. "I think next time I'll sneak up on you because that was _way_ too random." She sits next to him on the grass. "Happy birthday Yu-Yu."

He kisses her on the cheek. "Thank you, my love," he tells her graciously. "Ready for tonight?"

She eyes him, slightly weirded out by the question, mainly because she's trying to read his vibes and she's baffled by his nervous energy. Nonetheless, she answers, "I am if you are." He turns to her with a smile, his dimples standing out more so than usual. "So… I wanna get you something cool for your birthday. Do you have anything in mind that you'd like?"

He isn't a person who's used to receiving gifts, especially of the same nature as Cassie and her family seem to give. But he knows it's important to her because it's part of her love language, something he learned early on. "Well," he starts, "now that you've mentioned it, there are a set of cooking knives I've been wanting for a while. However, I didn't want to spend the money on them."

She chuckles. "Any reason why?"

He shakes his head. "I wouldn't know where to put them."

"Ahh," she jokes, "is this your not-so-subtle way of telling me you wanna get an apartment together?"

"I wasn't hinting that, but… it's something to think about now that you'd put it in my head," he answers.

She nods. "Sure… I mean, I think that's a discussion we should have soon, yeah?" _Very soon_, he answers in his head. She raises an eyebrow at him. "Babe?"

"Yes, I agree," he says.

"Okay," she agrees. "So… about these knives. How much are they gonna set me back? Not that it matters, I'm just curious." He pulls out his phone and a quick search gives her an answer. "Damn, those are some swanky ass knives, holy shit." Nodding in approval, she beams at him. "Well, happy birthday again babe. I'll see if I can get them today… or at least order 'em."

He brings her closer to him and presses his lips to hers gently. "Thank you," he whispers before deepening the embrace. They pull away and he says, "You are the best, you know that?"

"Pssh, I better be," she jests with him.

"Cassie!" she hears Jacqui calling her name.

Pressing her lips together, she tells him, "I'll be back for you later."

"I would hope so," he leers at her, making her blush as she stands up and walks away.

She reaches the door leading back inside of the house and shakes her head at Jacqui. "You're here early. What gives?"

Jacqui opens her mouth to tell her when she decides against it. Instead, she retorts, "Damn, I can't say hi to my bestie?"

Cassie rolls her eyes. "I was having a personal moment with my boyfriend."

"Yeah, well, I could be at home with mines, but I love you… Cassandra!"

"You're acting hella fucking weird. What the fuck's wrong with you?"

Jacqui rolls her eyes. "Nothing's wrong with me, _Jesus_," she answers semi guiltily. Cassie shakes her head. "Anyway, I wanted to go shopping today with you. That cool with you? Or do you not want to?"

Cassie groans, defeated. "You know I won't turn down an opportunity to shop with my bestie," she says, dragging her up the stairs. "What should I wear tonight? Yu-Yu is being weird, so I'm getting the feeling that I should dress up more than usual. What do you think?"

"What were you trying to wear?"

Cassie shrugs. Pulling open a few of her drawers, she pulls out a frilly sleeveless floral shirt. "I was gonna wear this—"

"No," Jacqui stops her. Cassie turns to her with a scowl. "Go up a few notches."

"But…" Cassie starts before hearing Jacqui growl at her. "Unreal," she mutters. She walks over to her closet, throwing it open. "Oh… shit. I have nothing."

"Hence why I wanted to go shopping?" Jacqui reminds her. Cassie nods. "So… get dressed."

"I _am_ dressed!" Cassie argues. She's wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

Jacqui blinks at her. "Dude," she says, "it's like fifty degrees outside. Get _properly_ dressed."

Cassie makes a noise of disapproval. "Fine. Cover your eyes, bitch face."

"I'll fucking hurt you."

* * *

While Cassie and Jacqui go shopping, Yuri drags Takeda to the jewelry shop in the mall for moral support. "So," Takeda starts the conversation with his cousin, "big day, huh?"

"Mmm hmm," is his answer.

Takeda raises an eyebrow. "You nervous or something?"

"Just a bit," Yuri replies.

"Yuri, I can feel your vibes, man."

The two boys turn to each other. "Can you blame me? I am taking a huge chance tonight."

Takeda pats Yuri's shoulder gently. "I understand, trust me. You're much braver than I am, I'll say."

The jeweler comes up to the counter and greets them politely. "Here to pick up your order, Yuri?" Yuri nods. She smirks before disappearing again. When she comes back, she shows him the black velvet ring box. He opens it, satisfied with the contents. "She'll love it, I promise."

He nods again, but says, "This I don't doubt."

Raising an eyebrow, the jeweler looks at him. "Ahh," she marvels, "you think she'll turn you down?" When he doesn't answer, she continues, "I know her family. They're sweet people. A little wild, but they're nice. Totally down to earth despite what people say and think."

Her statements elicit a small smile from Yuri. He bows gratefully. "Thank you. You have been a tremendous help throughout."

She smiles. "You're welcome! I hope next time you come back here you're picking out a matching set of wedding bands and not to return the ring." She smirks when she adds, "But you know if she says no… you know where to find me."

She winks. Yuri's face falls. Takeda snickers, lightly pushing him out the door. "Bye," Takeda tells the woman, who's laughing at Yuri's scandalized face. "Wow, she was rather brazen."

Still perturbed, Yuri shakes his head. "Agreed." He opens the ring box and nods appreciatively. "This shall be either the best or worst birthday to date."

"Let's hope it's the best, which I'm sure it will be. She'd be crazy to turn you down," Takeda assures him as they walk off. "You know she loves you, right?" Yuri half shrugs, opting for silence. "I'm serious. She honestly does. There are very few people in the world she feels strongly about. Top on that list… is family."

"I know," Yuri tells him.

"That means you, too," Takeda finalizes. Yuri eyes him. "To her, you're a different branch of family, but still."

Rolling his eyes, he asks, "How does that even work?"

"Well," Takeda starts as they reach the food court, "you know the family you're born into, and the family you create, yeah?" Yuri purses his lips. "She has you under 'created family'. As in… she _will_ say yes to your proposal. I promise."

They sit down at a table and Yuri leans back in his chair, suddenly exhausted. "I still worry."

"I know you do."

Meanwhile, the girls browse racks in yet another dress store. Utterly defeated, Cassie swipes past multiple dresses hanging. "This is hard. I can't find shit in here."

Also exhausted, Jacqui does her best to stay positive. She's slowly losing hope; it's already afternoon and Cassie hasn't found an outfit yet. Granted, Jacqui assumes all the responsibility for her best friend's feelings because she was the one who cajoled Cassie into finding "the perfect, most memorable" dress. She somehow managed not to give away the reasoning behind her scrutiny. So, she deals with Cassie's griping. "What about this?" Jacqui wonders, pulling a red slinky dress off the rack.

Cassie barely glances at it. "No."

"You didn't even look at it."

"Jacqui!" she snaps, losing her patience. "I don't… ugh!" She pinches the bridge of her nose. "We're gonna try one more store and then I'm giving up. Yuri will understand."

"Yeah, but—" Jacqui starts before Cassie growls at her. "Okay," she concedes, holding her hands up in surrender, "one more store then we'll call it quits. I'm sure we can find something from your closet."

"You insisted we go shopping because you hated all my other suggestions, so what the fuck Jacqueline?" Cassie turns to her and folds her arms. "What's this all about… really?"

Busted. Sort of. Jacqui smoothly replies with, "I just want you to look nice tonight for Yuri's birthday. Is that so much to want?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Shh, let's go try one more store, okay?" Placating Cassie, for now, she nods, and Jacqui steers her in the direction of a fancier dress boutique. Jacqui makes a beeline for a rack that catches her attention. She pulls out a blue dress. Upon closer inspection, it's an off-the-shoulder long-sleeved dress with spaghetti straps, a plunging sweetheart neckline, and… "Cass, you gotta see this!"

Cassie strolls over to her and stares at the dress. "Oh… shit," she gasps. Taking it from Jacqui's hands, she puts it flush to her body. "This is hella cute!" She looks at it some more. "Damn and look at the slits on this bitch. Sexy as hell." She heads over to the dressing room, completely abandoning Jacqui. Humored, Jacqui chuckles and shakes her head. A few minutes later: "Holy shit Jacqui! This dress is hella sexy!" She comes out of the dressing room and does a spin. "Whatcha think?" Jacqui gapes, at a loss for words. Cassie laughs. "I'm gonna assume you like it."

"I swear, Yuri is gonna drop dead when he sees you."

"Pfft, he'd better," Cassie brags. Jacqui takes out her phone and snaps a picture of Cassie doing the peace sign. "Send me that pic when you get a chance, JB," she says.

"Mmm hmm," is Jacqui's distracted answer. She sends the picture to Takeda first before sending it separately to Cassie. "There. You got shoes for it?"

Cassie nods. "I have them at home. Let me change and we'll go, yeah?" Jacqui gives her a thumbs up and she disappears into the dressing room again.

* * *

Later that night, Cassie puts the finishing touches on her makeup in her room when she hears two knocks. She does a quick mental check and realizes it's Yuri. "Come in, babe."

He walks in and immediately gasps. She smirks to herself, smacking her lips together. "Impressed, huh?" He's still quiet, and Cassie laughs heartily. "Use your words, Yu-Yu."

"I… _wow_," he stumbles.

Finally turning to him, she places a hand on her hip and observes him as he fully gapes. He's wearing a black silk button-down shirt, black dress pants, and a tie that perfectly matches the blue in her outfit. "I've rendered my boyfriend speechless. Mission accomplished." She walks over to him and places a kiss on his cheek. She nods. "And I love this new lip stain I got. They _said_ it's long lasting and doesn't leave a mark, but I needed to test that theory myself." Giving him a once over, she compliments him, "Damn, you look good, too. Shit. Let me finish getting ready, okay?"

She starts walking away again when he catches her hand in his. With a light tug, he presses her flush to his body. "You look absolutely beautiful," he tells her honestly.

"I'm glad you like it. I did it for you," she tells him. She stares at his tie, fingering it, but curious at the weirdly tied knot. "Looks like we had the same idea, huh?" He nods. "I was trying to look for something green—"

"You're perfect," he praises her. She smiles warmly at him. "You look stunning, and we should go before I have my delightful way with you."

Completely blushing, she laughs. "Wow, you pull no punches at all. Just give me a few more minutes and I'll be good to go," she informs him. He reluctantly lets her go and she goes back to her mirror to do one final check. Satisfied, she slips on a pair of clear heels. "Ready," she announces. Doing a double take, she frowns. "Wait. Come here," she says, beckoning him closer with a finger.

"Everything all right?" Yuri wonders.

Cassie comes up to him, chuckling to herself. "Your tie, as cute as it is, is hella crooked." She quickly unravels it and ties it over for him. She pats his chest lightly. "There."

He looks down and smirks. "I am hiring you as my official tie fixer… person."

"I expect to be paid in snuggles," she teases.

"Deal."

They head downstairs to see Sonya and Johnny sitting on the couch. Sonya stands up first. "Well," she starts, "you both clean up nicely."

Cassie smirks, full of conceit. "Like you didn't already know that, Mom. C'mon woman."

Johnny laughs. "You knew that was coming, honey," he says, regarding Sonya's unimpressed scowl. He stands up and pulls out his phone. "Let me get a picture of you guys."

Cassie groans. "Dad, do you _have_ to?" she whines. He levels a look with her. "Ugh, fine. Make it quick, because you guys are fucking creepers."

"I didn't even…" Sonya starts before Johnny pecks her on the lips, pacifying her complaints for the time being. Heaving a sigh, she says, "Whatever. Let's take your picture so you can get out."

Cassie laughs. "Wow Mom, so mean." Still, she wraps her arm around Yuri's waist as he snakes an arm around her shoulders. Her other hand meets his hanging off her shoulder and she looks up at him adoringly. Then she looks back at her parents. "We good?"

"Yup," Johnny says. Sonya hands Cassie a silver purse while she ushers the two of them out of the door. "Have fun and all that. Be good. Be _safe_."

The way he says his last sentence causes Cassie and Yuri to turn to him, blushing. "Dad!"

"What?" He waves to them. "Good night."

"Bye kiddos," Sonya says as she gives them one last push before shutting the door on them.

Cassie and Yuri stand outside the door, scowling and blushing respectively. She then flips off the closed door. "Jeeze, if they wanted alone time, all they had to do was _ask_," she grouses.

He turns to her, rubbing her shoulders gently while stating, "We should give them the benefit of the doubt, hmm?"

She looks up at him. "Maybe." He pulls her in for a brief hug before taking her hand in his. "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall."

* * *

A few hours later, they're eating dinner at a restaurant, still flushed after their romantic dance lessons. Cassie looks around, appreciating the view of the Los Angeles skyline. Yuri sits across from her, drumming his fingers on the table lightly. Raising an eyebrow at his nervous energy, she threads her fingers through his and squeezes gently. "Wanna order some wine, babe?"

"Sure," he says.

She flags down a waiter and does a double take at the familiar face. "Hey!" she greets the girl with long brown hair. Squinting, Cassie says, "You look so familiar, but I can't remember your name… Indigo, Indira… uh… Indie?"

She smiles at Cassie. "India!"

"Yeah!"

"Cassie, right?" India confirms. Cassie nods. "I went to school with your mom Sonya," she answers.

Snapping her fingers in an epiphany, Cassie cries, "That's right! How are ya?"

India beams at Cassie. "I'm good. How are you guys?"

Yuri gives her a half smile, mostly due to his unsettled nerves. "Doing well, thank you. May we have some wine?"

"Sure thing! White or red?" India asks him.

He turns to Cassie, beckoning for her to make the decision. With a playful eye roll, she answers, "What would you recommend? I'm in a red mood today."

"Good choice. I'll be back with one of my faves," she tells them before walking away. They're silent, and India comes back with a bottle of port. She quietly pours them each a glass before leaving the bottle on the table for them. "I have no idea where your server went, but if you want anything else, you'll let me know, right?"

"Yes ma'am," Cassie tells her. She smiles at them before walking away. Yuri takes his glass and takes a huge gulp, causing Cassie to gape at him. Before he's able to fully drain his wine, she swoops in and places the glass back on the table. "Babe… why are you so nervous?" Her face contorts to familiar confusion. "Oh, shit… I just had a bout of déjà vu. _I_ was this nervous on our first date, remember?"

"Mmm hmm," he hums, resisting the urge to finish his (and her) drink. He takes a deep breath. "I apologize, my love. I don't mean to worry you."

"I'm more suspicious than worried," she laughingly informs him. "Everything okay on your end?" He nods. She raises an inquiring eyebrow at him but decides to drop the topic for the time being, lest she wants to cause him more discomfort. She knows he has a lot on his mind; his thoughts whip around in her head but she's unable to latch on to a proper one, so she doesn't have anything concrete to call him out on. Instead, she picks up her wine glass, snorting at the amount he'd drain from his compared to hers. "Toast?"

He picks up his glass. "To my absolutely stunning girlfriend," he says, winking at her.

She bites her lip. "Oh, Yuri… it's _your_ birthday. I'm toasting to you. Congrats on your… what, twenty-seventh year?" He's about to answer when she snorts back a laugh. "You're in your late twenties," she sing-songs in jest.

He shakes his head at her laughing at him. "You are a brat," he teases her. He takes a calmer sip of his wine while looking at her through his eyelashes. "I am not afraid of getting older."

"I know you're not," she responds, drinking from her own glass. "Yuri-Nato isn't afraid of many things. Except me, perhaps." He raises an eyebrow at her statement. "I'm making you nervous for some reason. Wanna tell me why?"

He gulps. "You aren't," he tries to reason with her.

She frowns, pushing away her almost finished plate. "Babe, let's not start lying to each other like that." She tries a different approach; she props her elbows on the table before threading her fingers together and placing them under her chin. She's listening; he has her full, undivided attention. "Talk to me."

Now's the time, while her defenses are relatively low. Yuri closes his eyes briefly before opening them again. "I love you, Cassandra."

Cassie blushes. "Well, I love you too."

He shakes his head. "No, I mean… I _love_ you," he reiterates. She's about to respond again when he levels a look with her. So, she closes her mouth. "I've felt it for a long time even though I've only just said it a couple of weeks ago for the first time. I meant what I said that night: I won't ever love a woman as much as I love you."

This makes her give him a watery smile. "That…" she starts to say, but it comes out as a squeak. She clears her throat. "You're so sweet to me."

"You make it very easy to be. I know you've always wondered how you can repay me for saving you. Honestly, the score is more than even between us. You've shown me that it's possible to not live in the shadows of darkness. I've led a fairly difficult life, but after meeting you… nothing compares to the joy you've brought me," he confesses. "I don't want it to end."

She bites her lip. "It doesn't have to," she finally answers after a while.

He smiles at that. "I'm glad you feel that way." He stands up, and she watches his moves carefully. As an afterthought, he gently pushes his glass closer to the middle of the table. "Sorry, I'm a bit accident prone." She giggles. Then, he gets down on one knee and her jaw drops. "Cassandra—"

"Oh, my God," Cassie gasps, covering her mouth with a hand. "Oh… my _God_."

Yuri chuckles lightly. "I want you by my side for the rest of our lives—"

"Oh… oh shit," she cries. He raises an eyebrow at her, enamored by her. "Fuck, I'm sorry." She fans her eyes with her hands.

"That's all right, I've forgotten the rest of my sentence," he confesses. A few people around them snicker. "Let me try this again. I want you by my side for the rest of our lives. I promise you will not regret it. So, Cassandra Cage." He pulls out the well-crafted black velvet box from his pocket and opens it. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife? After all, you _are_ my one true pair." Her mouth opens and closes repeatedly in shock. Due to his restlessness, he adds, "Use your words please."

It begins with a series of nods as she covers her mouth once again. "Are you _kidding_?!" she croaks. "Yeah… yes. Fuck yes!" She immediately sticks out her left hand and he slides the silver ring on her finger. "Oh, my God." They stand up at the same time and they kiss, barely hearing the explosion of applause behind them. They pull away and she finally looks at the ring properly. "Oh… shit, babe!" She wiggles her fingers, admiring the way the diamonds sparkle in the lights of the restaurant.

"I guess you like it?" he wonders, regarding the ring.

She looks up at him. "I fucking love it. It's perfect." She slaps a hand on her forehead. "Dude! I only got you a set of fucking knives for your birthday. You got me an entire ring!"

"That doesn't matter to me, my love."

"But I…" Her protests dissolve on the tip of her tongue. "Oh man, you're just giving me more reasons to love you, huh?" She grabs his chin to kiss him again. "You're the best."

"I'm aware. And so are you."

* * *

"Boom!" Cassie brags, shoving her ring in Jacqui's face a couple of days later by the yards at the base.

Jacqui grabs her hand and pulls it away from her face. "Goddamn!"

"Right?!" She wiggles the ring in the sunlight. It's an emerald cut diamond center ring, flanked on each side by two smaller emerald cut diamonds. The ones on the very end face horizontally. "Look at this baby! It's big and beautiful, and gaudy and… I fucking love it."

"Oh, I see it, girlfriend," Jacqui tells her. She tilts her head to the side, watching it sparkle as well. "Shit's the size of your fucking head."

"I know right?!" Cassie marvels at it. "It's perfect. I love it. I love him, he's perfect… you know, for me of course. Oh, my God." The girls squeal excitedly just as Sonya happens to pass by while doing her rounds. They immediately sober up, standing at attention. "General," she greets her coolly.

"Sergeant," Sonya acknowledges her. "Corporal," she greets Jacqui. She smiles at them. "As you were."

They wait until she walks away to squeal again. "I can't believe how he timed that so perfectly," Cassie muses. She then turns to Jacqui, saying, "You planned this, didn't you?"

Jacqui shrugs and smirks, proud of herself. "I might've."

Cassie swallows Jacqui into a bone-crushing hug. "You're the best bestie a girl could ever ask for. For real, Jacq. I love you."

Jacqui hugs her back. "I love you too, Cass." After a minute, Jacqui wonders, "So… can I plan your bridal shower?"

Cassie laughs heartily. "Only if you make it extra as fuck."

Jacqui rolls her eyes. "It's the Cage genes," she notes, deadpan.

* * *

**A/N:** Leave a nice review if you're liking it thus far!


	3. Change of Plans

**Author's Note:** Putting a trigger warning in here just in case because of the memories Cassie ends up reliving (based on both what happened in the previous fanfics as well as a couple of headcanons I have). Also, regarding the concern about no conflict, all I can say is that I'm getting there, I promise. Just please be patient; I promise I will do everything justice. Thank you! As always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Change of Plans**

At the Cage residence, Cassie brushes her teeth over the sink in her bathroom when Yuri comes in. He smiles at her as he grabs his toothbrush to copy her actions. They work in silence, glancing at each other lovingly. She finishes first, preparing to rinse her mouth with mouthwash when she catches his leering look. She spits out what's in her mouth, blushing profusely. Covering her face, she bursts into giggles. "You're such a… you're so filthy."

"I haven't done anything," he mutters through his toothpaste.

"Don't look at me like that, then," she playfully scolds him, attempting to rinse her mouth again.

He spits out his toothpaste, rinsing with water before teasing, "I am just minding myself, Cassandra."

She chokes on her mouthwash. "Yu-Yu," she starts softly, turning to look at him, "don't… don't say my name like that."

"Like how, _Cassandra_?" he counters back.

She squirms in place as he's rinsing his mouth with her mouthwash. She intentionally waits for him to finish before stating, "You know _exactly_ what you're doing." Determined, she mutters, "It won't work, Yuri."

Pressing his lips to her ears, he whispers, "Are you positive about that?"

She whimpers helplessly. "Yes, I am actually," she answers.

"Your aura says otherwise," he badgers her. He wraps his arms around her waist and squeezes her gently. He nips at her earlobe and she lets out a shuddering breath. "However, if you insist, then I'll stop."

He releases her and she whines at the loss of contact from him. "You're a fucking tease, you know that?" He hums affirmatively. She grabs his hand and leads him back into her room. Although she does push him on the bed gently, she tells him, "I just wanna cuddle. That cool with you?"

"Perfectly all right with me," he responds. She crawls into bed with him, wrapping one arm around his shoulder while tucking the other one underneath her pillow. They both sigh. "I'd like to ask you a question."

"Sure, baby."

"When would you like to get married?"

The question stumps Cassie temporarily, and she stares at Yuri, scrambling for an answer. "Uh… I um… I'm not sure?" She blinks at him, and he stares at her patiently. "I don't know, babe. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer than that."

He brings her close to him, so their noses are touching. "That's all right, my love. I'm in no rush, to be frank."

"Do _you_ have an idea? Or are you leaving it up to me?"

He nods. "Well, I remember the day we began speaking with each other… after—"

"The warehouse, gotcha," she finishes, swallowing uneasily.

"Right." He clears his throat. "That was in May."

"Mmm hmm," she agrees. She smiles at the memory. "You happen to remember what I said to you?"

He chuckles. "I do. If memory serves me correctly, which it does because it's photographic—"

"Show off," she giggles.

He licks the tip of her nose. She squeals. "You said you weren't looking for anything serious. And I concurred because I also wasn't seeking anything concrete."

She snickers. "And you fell for the Caged Charm. Patent pending," she jokes. She digs her head into her pillow, wanting to be more comfortable. "No seriously. We were just gonna be friends. I was totally okay with that."

He runs a finger up and down her arm softly, causing small goosebumps to arise. "When did everything switch for you?"

She bites her lip. "I dunno. I couldn't really pinpoint it, but I know it was a little bit before my birthday. What about for you?"

He takes a moment to think about it. "After I saw you in person again."

She frowns thoughtfully. "You mean… after that double date shit that Jacqui and Takeda pulled on us?"

"Mmm hmm," he answers. This makes her smile. "What?" he wonders.

"I was literally so afraid you wouldn't think of me in _that_ way. Because I definitely thought of you like that back then too." Redirecting the conversation back to his original inquiry, she says, "May sounds like a cool time to get married. Keeps things separate from our actual anniversary, you know?"

"I was thinking so. All right, May 15th sound fine to you?"

She smiles, stroking his face in the darkness. "Sounds perfect." Then she adds, "Of next year, yeah?"

"Yep, sounds good," he agrees.

She kisses him quickly. "There. That was easy. What's next? Kids? I want like, five."

He laughs at her confession, tickled by the bluntness of it. "Five… sounds excessive."

"Wait, really? I thought you would've wanted a big family!"

He shakes his head. "I'm an only child…"

"So am I," she counters.

"Hmm… but you've had Jacqueline your entire life as well. I didn't."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm confused. I have no idea what that has to do with how many kids you want."

He heaves a sigh, causing her to giggle. "Brat."

"Mean."

"Anyway," he continues, pulling her even closer, "I want as many as you'd like. Though, I now am willing to admit I wasn't the easiest to raise. Everything Papu and Kanya say about me as a child, you must believe them… fully."

"So, even if they say you've stolen—"

"It was an accident, I swear," he defends himself. She gasps. "I wished for a pair of nunchakus so badly… and they appeared in my possession."

She snorts back laughter before outright bursting into giggles. "Ooh," she jeers, "is that how you discovered you had teleportation?"

He shakes his head. "That's a form of telekinesis."

"Oh, my God," she chuckles.

"Yes. So… just about anything which requires mind control, I have. Short of telepathy. Not in full anyway."

Cassie sits up in bed. So does Yuri. "So, wait… I was kinda joking that time when I said our kids would be awesome, but shit. If they're set to inherit anything _you_ have versus what _I_ have… holy shit."

"This doesn't deter you at all?"

"Nope. Does it freak _you_ out?"

He shrugs. "I mean, just a touch. But… if you aren't afraid, then I shouldn't be as well."

"It's fine. We'll both kick our kids' asses if needed."

"Cassandra!" he chides her. She bursts into more cackles, and he can't help but join in. When their collective mirth dies down, he gathers her into a loving hug. She gives him a smooch on the cheek in return. They pull away and he stares at her, enamored by her beauty. She blushes. "So, my love, still want five children?"

"Eh," she starts, "maybe three sounds a bit more reasonable, huh?" He nods. Shaking her head affectionately, she continues, "How about you?"

"I want as many as you'd like. After all, you'd be doing most of the work—"

"Hey!"

"In carrying them," he finishes. She closes her mouth. "What did you think I'd say?"

"I dunno," she mumbles. She rests her head back on her pillow, pulling some of her blankets over them. "You know I love ya, right?"

"Of course," he answers honestly, lying back down next to her. He rests his head on her shoulder, permitting her to run her fingers through his hair. "I love you, too."

"Mmm, I'd hope so," she teases him. His hand traces the curve of her back and she shivers. "Hey, keep your hands to yourself, mister."

"Mmm, no," he taunts her. He shifts so he's on top of her. "You know exactly what I want," he tells her, punctuating each word with a kiss to her neck. She sighs. "Do you want to?" he wonders.

She lets out another shuddering breath. "What do _you_ think?" She shakes her head and adds, "You're a fucking tease, you know that?"

"Indeed."

She giggles. "Brat."

* * *

The month of March passes by relatively quickly for everyone, and it's April. On a rare rainy day in the city, Cassie stares outside the window staring at the darkened sky. Dr. Marsden watches her but doesn't say anything for the time being. However, she absolutely picks up on the nervously charged huff of breath her patient releases. "Cassandra?" Dr. Marsden wonders, her soft voice breaking through the cloud of Cassie's gloomy thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Is everything okay?" Dr. Marsden wonders. Cassie shakes her head, afraid to speak. "I'm ready when you are." As an afterthought, she adds, "_If_ you are."

Cassie closes her eyes. "It's almost been a year," she whispers so softly Dr. Marsden tosses the words around in her head before she acknowledges them with a nod. "I had another nightmare last night about it, so Mom gave me some time off. But now I don't know what to do."

Dr. Marsden nods. "Have you been writing your nightly journals?" Cassie shakes her head. "Understood. It can be very hard to put those words to paper."

Cassie sighs again. "Putting it on paper means I have to relive it again. I… I can't. Most importantly, I don't _want_ to." She covers each eye with a hand and breathes deeply. "Because then I'd have to face the fact that I'll have to adopt when I kinda wanted biological kids of my own." Her voice cracks when she continues with, "And just takes me back to that stupid place and I… ugh!" She bursts into hysterical tears, burying her head in her hands. "I can't do that to my family again. I can't go down that dark and twisted road again."

After Cassie calms down enough, Dr. Marsden gently asks, "Do you still feel guilty about what happened to you?"

She half shrugs, half nods. "Not only do I feel guilty, I feel _responsible_. I mean… I've said it before, but like… they all risked a lot trying to save… me." She shakes her head. "I can't do this right now."

"All right," Dr. Marsden says smoothly. "We don't have to." Cassie nods, rubbing her eyes.

When Cassie gets home from her therapy session, she collapses in bed on her pillow, burying her face in it before bursting into tears again. She feels the bed sink by her feet, and she sighs. "I don't wanna talk," she tells the person.

"That's all right," Yuri assures her. Tentatively, he rubs small circles around her back. "I'm here for you regardless," he reminds her.

She lets out a trembling breath before lifting her head briefly. "Thanks, babe. I appreciate it." After a while, she asks, "Will you lie down with me?"

"Sure. I'll change first, however." She places her head back on her pillow, facing the wall. A minute later, he climbs over her, so his back is against the wall. She smiles at him dejectedly. So, he pulls her closer to his body. A surge of warmth spreads through her body as he feels the weight of her emotions in his. He kisses her forehead, asking, "Did you have a bad day today?" She nods. "I can tell. I'm sorry you're feeling this way."

She sighs before bursting into tears again. "I just… I can't _believe_… ugh!" she blubbers. He rubs her back and squeezes her some more. She calms down enough to continue, "It's so surreal, you know? I'm trying so hard not to think about it, but…" Her chin wobbles. "I've seen and dealt with some shit in my life, you know? But… nothing like this. And that's saying _a lot_."

Always ready to help, he says, "If you'd like, there's something I'd like to try with you. It may help sort out your feelings, but it involves deeply delving into… into personal memories."

She looks up at him. He gives her a small smile. "It's… hmm," she thinks, trying to decide. She shrugs. "It's totally up to you, babe. I'll try it your way. I just don't wanna write about it right now."

He nods. "That's fair."

They lie together for a while before she agrees. "I wanna know what you have planned," she finally says.

Confused, he inquires, "For…?"

"Dude," she giggles, "you forgot already? For what you just offered me."

"Oh." She shakes her head at him. "Of course." He sits up in bed. "_Only_ if you want to," he assures her.

She sits up as well. Then, she nods. "Yeah. Let's do it. It's only fair."

Yuri nods. He twists his head, cracking his neck before shaking out his arms. "All right. Make sure you're comfortable first please."

Cassie chuckles. "Sure." She scoots closer to him and cracks her knuckles. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I'm good."

He holds out his arms. "Now, connect your arms with mine," he instructs her. She tilts her head to the side before doing what he asks, wrapping her fingers around his elbows. "Deep breath in," he coaches her. "Hold for five seconds, then release." She's about to make a joke, but refrains, instead choosing to follow his instructions. "Good," he praises her. With a smirk, he adds, "And yes, this is deep meditation."

She giggles. "I couldn't help myself." Her face gets serious again. "I'm paying attention, I promise."

"I know. I'm going to scan through your memories, all right? If something blocks me, I'll let you know." She nods, staring at him intently. "You aren't required to keep eye contact with me."

"Oh, okay," she says before closing her eyes. She feels him probe gently into her mind and grunts when he stops at a memory. "What the hell?"

He frowns. "Eight. Something happened when you were eight years old."

Her breath hitches in her throat. "Shit, that was fast," she gasps, feeling a pang of hurt in her heart. She lets out a shuddering breath. "Mom missed my eighth birthday… saving Kenshi from the Red Dragon. I was _so_ mad at her because before she'd been there, and then suddenly she wasn't."

"Mmm hmm," he confirms. "Shall I keep going?" She hums yes. "All right." A few seconds later, he says, "Ten."

She turns her head away. "Mmm, damn. I forgot about that," she laughs bitterly. He raises an eyebrow at her. With a sigh, she explains, "Jacqui, a few of my friends and I were walking along the beach after school one day… and we… well, _I_ stumbled over this large thing. And when we uncovered it… it was some guy with his tongue cut out and stuffed in his throat."

He frowns deeply. "That sounds like a familiar injury," he states. She nods. "Oh…"

"Yep. Saw my first ever dead body _and_ his 'necktie' up close and personal. Mom was so livid. Not at me, but you know," she tells him.

"That is extremely unfortunate," he laments.

She shakes it off. "Yeah." He looks at her, asking for permission. She nods. "Go ahead."

He blinks rapidly. "Thirteen?"

She grits her teeth. "Dad served Mom divorce papers," she tells him.

He shakes his head. "Fourteen?"

"Officially divorced. That's when I started living with Dad full time."

He nods. His breath hitches in his throat, and he's almost afraid to ask, but he forces himself to. "Sixteen."

She looks away guiltily. "Um…" she begins, unsure of how to tell him. "Long story short… Dad was so mad at me for the card purchase."

"Cass," he reminds her, "you are still blocking it."

She rolls her eyes. "I have to say it out loud?" He nods. "Ugh! Fine. I was irresponsible and I had to get an abortion. There."

"Better," he compliments her. She cringes. "I'm not mad, my love. It happened, and it sticks with you, that's all."

"Yeah."

After a few moments, he asks, "Seventeen?"

"The Blood Code incident," she tells him. He nods. "I thought I was over that."

"That took a while to unlock honestly." She shivers involuntarily. "Would you like to stop?"

She shakes her head. "I trust you. You can keep going."

"All right." He sits for a while with his head low. Then: "Twenty?"

She clears her throat. "Kurdistan?" she whispers. She chokes on a sob. "Oh, God. It was horrifying," she says, her voice thick with pent up emotion. She takes a deep breath. "Wow."

"There is one more that is weighing on your mind," he tells her. She sighs. "That's twenty-two. That's this most recent… memory."

She swallows. "Yeah," she whispers.

He looks up at her. "We do not have to go there—"

"Kidnapped for the second time in my fucking life," she blurts out. "And then violated." He finally breaks the connection. "Babe," she calls him.

"I'm here," he reminds her. She envelops him in a hug. This time, he feels a sense of calm emanating from her and he hugs her back tenderly. "I hope this helped a bit."

"It did," she tells him, still hugging him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She pulls away from him, staring into his eyes. "Let's… let's get married soon."

"Huh?" he wonders with a quirk of his eyebrows.

She nods. "We can figure out the mechanics of it later. But let's get it on paper first, yeah?"

He blinks at her. When he realizes what she's asking, he chuckles. "So basically, you want to run away and elope?" She levels a serious look with him. "Oh… you _are_ serious."

"I'm dead serious," she confirms. "I still want the date to be May 15th. But yeah. Let's do it then."

Slowly, his face breaks into a smile. "All right. What will we need to do?"

* * *

Jacqui stares at Cassie with wide eyes a few days later. "So soon?" Cassie shrugs. "Oh… I mean… okay? But courthouses aren't usually open on weekends."

Confused by the piece of info, Cassie says, "Okay, and?"

Rolling her eyes, Jacqui pulls out her phone and shows Cassie the date. "May 15th is on a Sunday this year, dude."

Cassie's face falls. "Oh… shit, you're right. Fuck, I didn't think this through. I already requested that day off." Cassie punches the fight dummy in the gym in anger. "Fuck! What am I gonna do, Jacqui?"

"Hang on, hang on. Let's actually do some research first before any more planning gets underway," Jacqui tells her. She snickers. "Usually, I'm the one who comes up with outlandish ideas on the fly. What gives?"

"Shut the fuck up is what gives," Cassie mumbles. They both sit on the floor next to each other as they both search for places.

A few hours later, they're still sitting on the floor when they're joined by Takeda. "Hey," Jacqui says, not looking up from her phone.

"Woman on a mission," he jokes with a laugh. Turning to Cassie, he asks, "What are you ladies up to?"

Cassie shakes her head. "Trying to fix my impulsive ass decisions."

With a sigh, Jacqui says, "Yep. This crazy bitch decided she and Yuri are gonna get married like in two weeks."

"It's _not_ in two weeks, bitch face," Cassie grouses.

"Fine, a month from now. I'll fucking hurt you."

"Whatever," Cassie counters with a roll of her eyes. "Takeda… can you officially translate Japanese?"

He blinks. "Yeah?"

"Good. I'm gonna need you to translate Yuri's passport so we can get it notarized," Cassie tells him.

"I… okay?" he reluctantly agrees.

After work, Cassie, Yuri, Takeda, Jacqui, and Jin meet up at a sports bar. Cassie's hair is threaded in her hands as Jacqui and Jin exchange notes. Takeda and Yuri look over his documents. "I can't believe it," she mutters for the umpteenth time. Jacqui rolls her eyes. "How are we gonna do this?"

"Dude!" Jacqui snaps at her. They all turn to her. "It'll be fine. We got this."

"Yeah but… I feel bad for not wanting to tell my parents," she reasons.

Yuri blinks at her. "Do you… _want_ to tell them? We can, of course—"

"No!" she whines. Jacqui huffs, going back to her notes. "I don't know. Fuck…"

Jin rubs his forehead. "Well Cassie," he starts, "you better make up your mind and fast. There's not only a guest limit but also a time limit on this."

Pouting, Cassie sips at her water. "Fine, fine. I guess I won't tell them yet," she finally decides.

"Oh… shit!" Jacqui exclaims, looking at her phone. "Cass, look at this place!" She shoves her phone in the other girl's face. "They're open on Sundays, it's hella cute—"

"Oh wow," Cassie gasps, "and they'll do the marriage certificates for us the day of instead of running around to the court and all that shit." She then shows Yuri. "Isn't it lovely?" she cajoles him sweetly, pinching his cheeks.

He laughs. "Yes, it's very nice."

"Cass make a list of how many people you want to have. Your max is 36 people for this place on a Sunday," Jin tells her.

Cassie takes a deep breath. "I guess we're doing this, huh?"

"We _can_ wait," Yuri reminds her.

"I don't wanna wait," she mumbles. Yuri rolls his eyes. She takes the pen and notebook from Jacqui and turns to a fresh page. "Okay, so you guys are definitely invited, so that's three so far. Babe, make sure to get Maeliana and Geo back here to the States. That's five."

"What about Cam?" Jacqui wonders.

Cassie shakes her head vigorously. "Cam will bust my cover by telling people on social media. He's an idiot. He can come to the main wedding later."

"So, I assume no adults as well, huh? Like, adult, adults," Jin wonders. They all shake their heads. "Yuri, are you going to tell your parents?"

He bites his lip as Takeda eyes him. "I would like to… but I'm unsure if it's ideal. Kanya is too honest."

Cassie snorts. "So, like, she'd accidentally spill the beans to my parents before I do, huh?" Yuri nods. "Damn. Okay. Um… Hmm, let me see the rates for this place?" She looks at Jacqui's phone again. "I really don't want a lot of people to know. So, we gotta keep it as hush-hush as possible. So… let's go with that one." She points to something on the phone and Jacqui takes the notebook back, flipping to her previous page to write something down.

After scribbling in her book, Jacqui says, "You're also gonna need a dress."

The boys laugh at Cassie's horrified face. "No!" she wails. Jacqui nods. "Ugh! Fine. I need a dress." Shooting a glare at Yuri, she adds, "And you're wearing a tux then."

Yuri looks at the ceiling. "Fine," he mutters, causing Takeda and Jacqui to laugh some more. Jin shakes his head at the two of them. "You best be absolutely sure you want to do this, Cassandra. I do not like doing things more than once."

"Ooh," she teases, "is this your fancy way of saying divorce is not an option?"

"That is _exactly_ what I'm saying," he confirms.

She gets up from her side of the booth to sit on his lap, causing Jin to move over with an annoyed grunt. Ignoring Jin's discomfort, she wraps her arms around her fiancé. "I'm positive. It's happening. No take backs. You proposed to _me_. Remember that."

"How could I forget?"

"How could _any_ of us forget?" Takeda mumbles. Cassie throws a piece of ice from her glass at him. "Charming," he laughs.

* * *

In bed that night, Cassie stares at her ceiling as Yuri snores softly in her ear, his arm wrapped around her midriff protectively. She reaches above her pillow to ruffle Lucky's fur. Her sigh causes his eyes to pop open. "My love, what's on your mind?" he asks drowsily.

"Stuff," she answers vaguely. He shakes his head. "I mean… well, I was thinking that as much as I'd really like to, we should at least try to be appropriate and not have sex till we get married."

"Notwithstanding just a moment ago?" he asks. She blushes. "I understand. If it's something that is important to you."

She huffs at her own thoughts. "I mean sorta? I don't know. Ugh, whatever. My thoughts are stupid."

"They aren't," he assures her. He buries his head in her neck. "If it's tradition for you, then so be it. I respect it."

"Hmm," she thinks, rubbing his arm, "what do you think?"

Half expecting his normal response of being fine with whatever she wants, she's surprised when he instead says, "I think it would be good for us to practice a bit of restraint."

"Oh," she says. He stares at her. "Well, then yeah, I agree with you. Restraint." She looks at her watch and sees it's only 10:30. "In that case," she starts, rolling over so she's on top of him, "we can start after midnight."

She's peppering kisses on his cheek when he groans, "Cass."

"Huh?"

He sighs. "We should start now."

She pouts. "Aww, but… do we _have_ to?"

"If we don't, then we might as well not, hmm?" he reasons. She huffs, taking her spot back on the bed. "Oh Cassandra, don't be that way. You can still lie on top of me." She harrumphs childishly. "You are a brat, you know that?"

She smirks. "Then maybe you should punish me," she taunts him. Laughing, he turns away from her. "Hey!"

"Good night Cassandra. I love you."

She shakes her head. "Fine, go to sleep," she grumbles. After a moment, she adds, "Butt head."

"Very mature, hmm?"

"I love you, too." Half an hour later, she pounces on top of him. "Please?"

"Cassandra," he mutters, "go to sleep."

"Please?" she asks again. He heaves a sigh. "Pretty please?"

He rubs her back in soothing circles. "In a month, I promise," he finalizes.

"Pfft, okay _fine_. Have it your way," she concedes.

"As it should be."

"Ooh, you're bossy. I like it."

"Close your eyes."

"But I love you," she argues playfully.

"Sleep."

"I don't wanna."

He sighs again. "Good night."

She bursts into giggles. "Night babe."

* * *

**A/N:** Please review if you can! I'll be trying to get a couple of chapters of _Pages of Cage_ written before I start a different project I'm working on in a week. Announcements to come soon!


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